Well Skulky, it's hard to do a story thread when you miss half the turns or more. But here's a little short story for you.
I steped in for a player that left game and found myself in the middle of a war that had been going on for who knows how long...
--------------------
So you the new guy? Ok, well follow me, I'll show you what we are doing today. Watch your head there. That I-beam looks a little unstable. A trip to the infirmary on you first day won't look good on your record you know.
Fired? No, they can't do that. Your local guild rep will make sure that doesn't happen. But they can't prevent you from being transferred to another salvage ship. Only the best get to work in the Forlon system you know. And only the best of them get to work on the Anteres.
Me? Yeah, I'm the best. Been in the salvage business almost forty years now. Most of that right here in Forlon. Anteres is my third posting. I remember the old days when we had to do all our work outside the ship in Z-suits. But not on Anteres. Now we simply open the forward bays and tractor the scrap right inside.
No, the big stuff has to be cut up first, but we've got saw-drones for that now. But honestly the Council and Cue Cappa weapons have been getting better these days. Usually there aren't any pieces left much bigger than 3 or 4 kilotons. I saw a Council Cruiser once that got pounced by a couple Cappa ships with those telekinetic projectors they have now. There wasn't anything left bigger than a few centimeters. We had to leave that one for the skimmers to pick up.
What's it all about you ask? Hmpf. What's any war about anyway? This one's been going on so long now I doubt anyone in Munjumb or Huju even remember why they are fighting. It�s been going on longer than I have been here, that�s all I can tell you. They just keep making ships and sending them to kill each other in Forlon. And that's where we come in.
No, they don't give us any trouble. We sell them back minerals and Radioactives at a discount. And when we find any "organics" they get those for free. If it weren't for the Corporation they wouldn't have any caskets to pin all those medals on.
That one? No, that's a Commonwealth ship. Somehow they have managed to stay out of the war all these years. Their ships go back and forth between the Council and Cappa homeworlds, shuttling diplomats for peace talks and what not.
Every rock orbiting the Forlon double stars here has had both flags at one time or another flying over it more than once over the years. Now that�s a nasty job for you. Salvaging what�s left of one of those colonies after they get glassed. Those domes don�t Last long against weapons designed to bLast ship hulls made out of titanium alloy. The bodies? The bodies stay pretty much intact. At least until the local vermin get to them. And it�s not like combing a debris field for a few thousand navy pukes. No, the colonies have millions of people. And women and children too. The Corporation has to farm that work out anymore. That�s the whole reason the Guild got started was cause the early salvage monkeys got tired of picking up dead kids.
But not too often anymore. The two sides gave up long ago trying to colonize what passes for planets in the godforsaken system. Only intelligent thing either one of them ever did if you ask me. Now the Commonwealth occupies all the planets, and the Cappa and Council occupy themselves just blowing each others ships up.
Watch your step. Looks like some organics there. Which one? Well from the color of the blood I�d say that�s a Councilite. The Cappa�s blood has a more bluish tinge to it and a different smell too. A few months and you�ll get to where you can recognize the two with your eyes closed. That�s the only thing I miss about working in Z-suits. Probably some wet behind the ears ensign on his first trip off the homeworld. Such a waste. Well, time to get to work. Go get a mop will ya�?
fin